The upcoming Presidential election is an event that will galvanize many voters, and it could be so close that the State Board of Elections is trying to ensure that every vote is counted.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the Board is reaching out to military personnel who can’t head out to the polls but will have other options for casting their votes.

One Virginia-based wholesaler says that before Hurricane Isaac even came close to hitting the Gulf Coast, five refineries indicated that they were raising gas prices before the end of the day—which is highly unusual. But now that the storm has actually caused damage, the question isn’t “if” prices will continue to rise, but “how much?” Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil has more from the State Capitol.

As President Obama prepares to return to Charlottesville, 95 Virginia Republican delegates and alternates have gathered for a Grand Old Party in Tampa.  The conventioneers are gearing up in hopes of moving the Commonwealth to the Republican column when the electoral votes are counted.  Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan spoke with some of the delegates …who say the nation’s economic woes were the catalyst for their political activism.

Virginia’s preeminent place in the annals of U.S. history means that in any given year, there’s always an anniversary of some significant site or event in the Commonwealth.  The latest is the bicentennial of a building that survived two wars and has served as the residence of 54 governors. And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, it’s a home that’s just a stone’s throw from the State Capitol.

A Virginia lawmaker believes the Commonwealth should join neighboring states Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia in building fully operational casinos.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, she believes this will not only help fix the state’s budget problems, but bring much-needed relief to the region which she represents.

Nearly a million Virginians will soon have to adjust to changes in the way they shop for their groceries.  That’s because the Virginia Department of Social Services will begin staggering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit schedule in an effort to better accommodate its recipients.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the aim is to promote good health through better nutrition. 

Despite opposition from some groups who say that a new voter ID law in Virginia equates to voter suppression, the State Board of Elections is working to implement the federally sanctioned law.  And as Virginia Public Radio Tommie McNeil reports, the Board has launched a new initiative to educate voters about the law before the November election.

While a number of elected officials are calling for some tax increases to fund programs and cut the federal deficit, some small business leaders are urging caution about raising taxes and allowing energy prices to soar during the nation’s fragile economic recovery.  They say if policymakers really want to promote business growth and put millions of Americans back to work, the U.S. must enact laws that will not burden the “entrepreneurial economy.”  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, that includes recognizing how fiercely competitive other nations have become.  

Virginia judges have the authority to terminate the rights of parents who have caused a substantial threat to a child’s life, health, or development.  But in some cases, the child is never adopted and the parents eventually turn their lives around.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, several lawmakers are calling for creation of a new state process that would permit the restoration of parental rights—IF it’s in the best interest of the child.  

The Virginia Capitol was the venue for four governors of different eras and varying states to discuss the generations-old problem of reforming education.  Despite having some philosophical and party differences, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, West Virginia Governor Bob Wise, and Virginia Governors Douglas Wilder and Bob McDonnell engaged in an interesting dialogue about how they believe those reforms could take place.  Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil has more from the Capitol.

The final numbers are in, and now Governor McDonnell is touting a budget surplus of more than $448-million for the state fiscal year that ended in June.  But Democrats say, “Not so fast!”  As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, although they appreciate that McDonnell gives the credit to bipartisan compromises, Democrats say the savings come at a cost to education and other services.

Social Studies teachers who gathered at the Library of Virginia for a workshop this week  were treated to an opportunity to see and touch priceless historical artifacts.  The educators were participating in the annual “Anne & Ryland Brown Teacher Institute”… and learning how to use the Library’s real-life and digital collections to enhance their classroom lessons.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the workshop also included a unique experience called “feeling the power.”

It’s generally unspoken but certainly obvious in the 2012 presidential campaign: that President Obama is African-American and former Governor Mitt Romney is Caucasian.  That may not be a news flash, but race certainly has been a divisive issue in this nation, and at least one national public figure wants to put it to rest—the nation’s first elected African-American Governor, Douglas Wilder. Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports that while Wilder says race has always been an issue in the U.S., there’s no reason to make it a focus of a campaign.

As the Presidential candidates strategize to take key battleground states such as Virginia, some older voters are letting them know exactly which issues are critical for securing their votes.  AARP surveys indicate that the number one concern facing those voters is directly tied to Social Security, Medicare, and the ability of Baby Boomers to fund their retirement.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, although older voters want to know where the candidates stand on these issues, they are more concerned about overcoming the stalemate in Washington in order to address them. 

Some higher education leaders are applauding news out of Richmond that although students will pay more in tuition and fees this year, the yearly increase is the lowest in a decade.  That’s less than half of last year’s average of seven-point-nine percent.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the decline is due, in part, to a significant investment made by state lawmakers over the last two years.

Carrie & Emma Buck at the Virginia Colony

A new effort is under way to persuade Governor McDonnell and the General Assembly to authorize state compensation for survivors of Virginia’s 1924 forced sterilization law, which was used through 1979.  Arlington Delegate Patrick Hope announced the initiative 85 years after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the state law, which became a model for other states under the eugenics movement of that era.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the search is on to find victims who may still be alive.

The State Board of Elections has decided not to ask for a formal investigation into the activities of the Voter Participation Center, which sent out mass mailings to facilitate voter registration that prompted hundreds of complaints.  The recipients of the pre-populated, partially completed forms included nonresidents, deceased persons, and pets. But the Center pledged during a public hearing to make some changes before its next mailing.

News reports of ineligible recipients had prompted GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s campaign to ask the state to investigate possible criminal acts and review or reject the resulting 16,000 pre-populated voter applications.  Board Chair Charlie Judd listed numerous complaints, and said some mailings caused confusion and even heartbreak.

“But this one makes me say, ‘Shame on you.’ The voter application was filled out and sent to an address in the name of an 8-year-old baby girl—deceased.”

Former Federal Election Commissioner Scott Thomas said the lists came from vendors as the VPC tried to reach two-million unregistered Virginians.

“Part of the program is to work with the list-cleaning system that’s in place to do better and better and apply all of those 13 additional protocols, as they’re called, to prevent the kinds of problems that we, as I said, regret.”

Board members applauded the Center’s goals.  Elections Secretary Donald Palmer expressed confidence that Virginia’s local registrars would be able to screen out ineligible applicants. \

–Anne Marie Morgan

The hot summer weather has not deterred U.S. Senate candidates George Allen and Tim Kaine, who have maintained a brisk pace on the campaign trail.  The two former governors have been criss-crossing the Commonwealth, holding meetings with citizens, and unveiling policy positions.

Allen has been visiting businesses.  To boost U.S. hiring and competitiveness, he calls for eliminating the red tape that impedes job creators—and cutting corporate income taxes, which are the world’s highest.  At Merit Medical Systems in Chester, Allen said he would repeal the new federal tax on medical devices that takes effect in January.

“Where the United States is preeminent in the world is in medical device manufacturing. And so what are the folks in Washington doing?  They’re imposing this tax.  What is that going to do?  It makes our country less competitive!”

Kaine rolled out an energy plan to expand use of all sustainable forms of domestic energy—and spoke at an Arlington forum with government employees. On a conference call, he proposed avoiding scheduled deep defense cuts through spending reductions and renewing most of the Bush tax cuts.

“I’ve called on Congress to allow the tax cuts to expire for those earning over $500,000.  This is a middle ground.  It’s a compromise between where the president is and the ‘make everything permanent’ position.”

The dates for three more debates have been set—on September 20th, and October 8th and 18th.

–Anne Marie Morgan